Iraq: Militants battle government forces in Fallujah

Sunni Muslim militants and tribal fighters battle government forces in the
Iraqi city of Fallujah

12:44PM GMT 06 Jan 2014

Al Qaeda-linked militants and tribal fighters who have taken over parts of Fallujah, Iraq, have pledged to continue fighting the Iraqi government.

An unnamed commander of the anti-government Fallujah military council stated their aims on camera: "The revolutionaries of Fallujah tribes are resolved to punish those, the covetous, who are linked to the sectarian government."

Al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have been steadily tightening its grip in the vast Anbar province in recent months in a bid to create a Sunni Muslim state straddling the frontier with Syria.

But last week's capture of positions in nearby Ramadi and large parts of Fallujah was the first time in years that Sunni insurgents have taken ground and held their positions for days.

Iraqi government forces battling an al Qaeda offensive near the Syrian border launched an air strike on Ramadi city on Sunday killing 25 Islamist militants, according to local officials.